tetchily
1
9.9
- adverb
- /ˈtɛtʃɪli/
- UK
- I'm afraid I responded more tetchily in general than Byatt does to other aspects of the Bowen world, though these unnerve me now a good deal less than they once did.
Examples
-
Hermas tetchily stops him.
Fiction book (1993) -
She replied tetchily when I asked her about the schedule change.
-
He tends to act tetchily when he hasn't had enough sleep.
-
The teacher spoke tetchily after the students interrupted her lesson.
Synonyms
4
4.1
In an annoyed or impatient way
2
8.1
In a childish, annoyed way that shows impatience
2
7.6
In a short angry way that shows you are annoyed
1
3.0
In a bad mood and speaking or acting in an unhappy way
1
8.1
In an annoyed, grumpy way
1
7.5
By being quiet and not joining others to show someone is annoyed
1
7.8
To act in an annoyed or offended way
1
6.0
In a bad-tempered, easily annoyed way
1
9.5
In an angry and unpleasant way that shows annoyance
1
7.7
In a short, sharp way that shows annoyance
1
9.1
In a grumpy way that argues with others or refuses to cooperate
1
9.1
In an angry way that shows someone gets annoyed easily
1
8.4
In an angry, sharp way that shows someone is annoyed
1
9.9
In a rude, unfriendly way
1
5.8
In a bad mood and complaining
1
7.0
In a bad mood and easily annoyed
1
8.1
In a way that gets upset or angry very easily
1
7.7
In an annoyed way that shows irritation or anger
Antonyms
How Irritable
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Tetchily comes from tetchy, a word meaning 'easily annoyed' and is like the common word touchy. Think of someone who reacts if you 'touch' them even a little, so to act tetchily is to be easily annoyed and quick to react.